Film scraping device for film splicers



April 4, 1950 l I I H, C, NOE 2,502,475

SCRAPING DEVICE FOR FILM SPLICERS Filed Jan. s, 1946 K I 2 sheets-sheet 2 ATTORN EY Patented Apr. 4, 11950 vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FILM SCRAPING DEVICE FOR FILM SPLICERS Harold C. Noe, Upper Montclair, N. J., assignor to Bloomfield Tool Corporation, Bloomfield, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 3, 1946, Serial No 638,716 2 claims. (ci. i593 This invention relates to motion picture film splicers, and particularly to means for removing the emulsion and a surface portion of the film preparatory to splicing film sections.

An object of the present invention is to provide a film scraper wherein a novel arrangement and movement of parts produce a better lm emulsion removing and scraping effect.

- Another object is to facilitate the making of splices of the above-indicated character.

Another object is to provide a device or machine of the above-indicated character which comprises few parts, is quiet in operation, and is adapted to hold a lm in effective relation to lm backing means for scraping.

Another object is to provide a film scraping device which renders a splicing machine more compact and better adaptedto easy manipulation by less skilled operators.

Another object `is to provide a mechanism in which a table and an abrading element are rotated in a novel and improved manner from driving or speed-reducing means.

A further object is to provide a lm abrading or scraping device for a splicing machine that is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture and effective in its operation.

Further objects, not specifically enumerated above, will be apparent as the invention is described in greater detail in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view, generally in section, of a portion of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a sleeve element of the machine, as viewed in the plane of line 2-2 of Figure 1, screws being shown in section and elevation.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a portion of a film as spliced by the machine of the invention.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a scraper embodied in the invention.

Figure 5 shows a modification of the invention as viewed in the direction of Figure 1, but being generally in elevation.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view, taken substani Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan 55 2 view of film holding or pressing means of the invention.

Figure 10 is a side elevation of the means shown in Figure 9 partly in section, substantially as viewed in the plane of the line III-I6 of Figure 5.

Referring to Figure 1, the machine as therein shown comprises, in general, driving means such as a motor Il), a clutch I2, a supporting means or frame I4 on which a frame or support portion I I of the motor I8 is mounted, a turntable structure I6, a film rest or support I1, a film backing means or plate I8, a film cutter 20, and lm abrading or emulsion removing means 22. Only a portion of the support I1 and the plate I8 are shown, which may be elements of a lm holder, such as shown in my Patent No. 2,414,481, suitably supported by the top of a housing (not shown) for the machine described herein.

The clutch I2 comprises friction discs 24 and 26 fixed to a shaft 28 of the motor I0 and to a main drive shaft 3D, respectively, and normally spaced from each other in disengaged positions as shown. A collar 32, mounted on a side sleeve of the disc 26, as through a ball bearing 33, is normally spring biased by means (not shown) to hold the discs 24 and 26 apart, and is adapted for movement parallel to the shafts for effecting engagement of the discs.

The main drive shaft 30 is journaled, as by ball bearings 34 and 36 supported by the frame I4, and carries a worm screw 36 having a sleeve 39 fixed to the shaft 3U intermediate the bearings 34 and 36, and a worm screw 40 at the left end thereof, as shown in Figure 1.

The worm screw 38 meshes with a Worm wheel 42 secured to a shaft 44, which is journaled in lower and upper ball bearings 46 and 48, respectively, positioned in a sleeve 50 constituting apart of, and depending from, a table portion proper 52 of the turntable structure I6. The shaft 44 carries a large gear 54 adjacent to its upper end, as shown. The sleeve 50 is rotatably mounted in a bearing sleeve 55 having a ange 56 resting on and bolted to an upper part 51 of the frame I4, and is maintained in position at its lower end, as by holding ring means 58. A gear 59, of relatively large diameter, isrotatively mounted on the flange 56 and is secured to the underside of the table portion 52, by screws 60 threaded into bosses 62 depending from the table portion 52.

The worm screw 4D, at the left end of the main drive shaft 30, meshes with a worm wheel 64 fixed to a shaft 66 which is journaled in lower and upper ball bearings 68 and 10, respectively,

body portion 84 of substantially smaller outside diameter than the diameter of .the aperture 8|! whereby the sleeve 22 may be adjusted radially on the table portion 52 relative to the shaft 44 and xed in adjusted position by screwsBS eX- tending through openings S8 in a flange 90 of the sleeve 82 resting on the table portion 52.

The openings 8B are also of larger diameter than the bodies of the screws 86, but of smaller diameter than the screw heads, so that the screws effectively clamp the sleeve 82 in any position to which it is adjusted.v The sleeve 82, as seen in Fig. 2, has a radial split 2| extending longitudinally throughout its body S4 and flange 9D, and a cutout 92 in the ilange S2 providing a shoulder 93 for the head of a screw 94 spanning the split 9 I.

The sleeve 82 is internally screw threaded to receive a cooperatively threaded vertically adjustable bushing having a lower inwardly extending end flange 96, and an upper outwardly extending end flange sa having a recess in which a ball bearing lilil is provided for a shaft |22. By turning the screw 94, Figure 2, the sleeve 82 is clamped against the bushing Q5 to lock the threads of the sleeve and the bushing to each other. A needle bearing B24, on the lower end iiange 96, surrounds the shaft H32 and supports a sleeve H36 which supports the inner race of the ball bearing iii, and a plate or disc |08 holds the bearing |24 in the flange 98.

A tool holder il, having a pinion portion 99 about the riian'ge 98 for engagement with the gear wheel r54, is detachably secured to the shaft |22, as by a set screw i2 engaging a dent or flat spot of the shaft 92, and is adapted to receive any one of a selection of end mill type Scrapers ||4 detachably secured to the holder as by a set screw H6.

As indicated in Figure 4, the scraper H4 has a flat side portion H5 for cooperation with the set screw H6, and a head end |i`| having only two cutting edges H8, this feature being possible by reason of the very high speed of rotation of the scraper, although other scrapers may be employed.

The radial adjustment of the end mill ||4 relative to the shaft 44 above set forth is for determining the position of the cut, that is, the portion of the lm to be scraped, and the axial adjustment of the end mill normal to the plane of the cut is for determining the thickness of the cut or the quantity of emulsion removed.

The lm holder I8 or its equivalent may be of a type heretofore employed, the details of which do notl constitute part of this invention, and is essentialy to the extent that it is required to hold or act as backing means for lm sections |22 and |23 over the section |22 in the overlapping end-to-end relation shown.

In operation, referring to Figure 3, the sections |22 and |23 of the film |20 are rst arranged manually so that, when clamped in the relation indicated in Figure 1 with the section |23 over the section |22, adjacent sprocket pin holes |26 and |28 of the respective sections will be properly spaced relative to each other and to the sprocket, after subsequent cutting and lapping operations hereinafter set forth.

The disc 26 of the clutch l2 is caused to engage the disc 24 whereby the shaft 3|] is rotated to transmit its motion to the shafts E6 and 44 which, in turn, operate through the pinion 14 and the gear wheel 59, and the gear wheel54 and the pinion 99, respectively, to rotate the turntable I6 at a slow speed, such as from fourteen to seventeen revolutions per minute, while the scraper rotates at a much higher speed.

The resultant action is one in which the scraper I4 rotates at high speed about one axis, namely the axis of the'shaft HB2, and revolves at slow speed about another axis parallel thereto, namely the axis of the shaft 44, whereby the scraper .gradually approaches the underside of the edge of the film and the cutting edges of the scraper are so rapidly swept along this lm edge, rst striking the film edge at a point tangent to the scraper and then gradually cutting into the Vfilm edge, sothat buckling, crinkling or cracking of the nlm are completely avoided, and a smooth, easy. uniform cut is effected across the lm to form an area Sil from which the film emulsion has been removed.

Immediately following this action, the film sections are moved apart by a distance equal to the width of the area |30, the cutter 20 severs both film sections along a line |32, cement is applied to the scraped. area |3i,.the end of the film section |23 is then moved under the end of the ilm section i2?. in proper registry, and the film ends are pressed together to complete the splice. 'I he entire trimming, scraping, cementing and lap-` ping operations are effected by the machine in about four seconds.

vReferring to Figures 5, 6, 7 and v8, in which similar parts are designated by corresponding reference numerals having the suix 41, the film abrading means 22 remains substantially the same as in Figure 1, and the .device is otherwise greatly simpliiied by the elimination of .the clutch |2, the pinions 'i4 and 2S, vthe gear wheels 54 and 5.9, the worm wheels 42 and 64, the worm screws'a and 4B, and the simplication of the frame I4.

A shaft 44a of a turntable structure |6a iS journaled in an upper anti-friction bearing 48a and in a similar lower bearing 46a in portions of supportingmeans |4a. A table portion proper 52a of a turntable structure ia is xed to the shaft 44a, as by a pin |38 through theshaft and through a sleeve portion |46 of the table 52a. A unit |42 consisting of a pair of pulleys |44 and |455 integrally joined or secured to each other, is disposed on the shaft 44a. in rotatable relation to the shaft as through ball bearings |45, and maintained between the sleeve |40 and a ,Plate of the frame |4a by a pulley |48 that is fixed to the shaft 44a, as by a pin |50.

A film abrading or emulsion removing mea 22a is similar to the means 22 0.5 Figure 1, eX: cept that the pinion portion 99 of the means 22 is omitted, and replaced by a pulley |54 secured to the lower end of a shaft |0205. The means 22a is adapted to carry a device |58, as better shown in Figures 9` and 10 and to'be further described herein, for pressing a lm section 123er against a backing plate 8a, and which, with'slight modi iication, is also adapted for similar action in the device of Figure 1.

Driving means |58 includes speed-change or gear-reduction unit |60, Figure 5, having a support or casing means |62 mounted on the sup,

amarre porting means ida. A primary or high-speed pulley |64, Figures 6, 7, and 8, linked by a friction belt |66 with a pulley |68 on a shaft |10 of a motor |0a having a frame or support Ila mounted on the means Illa. The belt |66 also links the pulley |80 with the pulley |46 on the turntable shaft 44a. A belt |72 links the pulley |44 with the pulley |54. An output or slow speed pulley |14 of the speed-change unit |88, is connected, by a belt |16 to the pulley 48 on the turntable shaft 44a.

Referring to Figures 9 and 10, in which similar parts to those of Figure 1 are also designated by corresponding reference numerals having the suffix a, the device |58 comprises a resilient element k|80 of inverted substantially U-shape having feet |82 extending laterally outwardly from legs |83 thereof and secured to the ange 98a, as by screws |86. y v

The vtop surface of a closed end |88 of the element |80, which lies in a plane just above the cutting edges of the end mill lieta, has an apern ture |90 surrounding the edges liliaiFi'gure 9), and merges into the outer surfaces of the legs |83 through curved surfaces |92. An edge |94 about i has a tendency to sag away from thefbacking plate |803.

To compensate for such sag, as the end mill Ma approaches the lm, the leading curved surface |92 of the resilient element |80 first gradually presses the yfilm upward against the backing plate |8a for holding the film in tightly held flat engagement with the .plates by the closed end |88, in doing which, the top surface of the element |80 is depressed so that the portion of the end mill adjacent the cutting edge ||8a is guided through the aperture |90 for ,effective abrading operation of the film throughout the cut.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that meansI of novel construction and operation have been provided for more rapidly and economically splicing films, in which the lm abrading means bodily revolves relative to the driving means about the turntable axis while rotating about its own axis, is which novel means is provided whereby the axes of the turntable and the abrading means may be parallel, in which the cutting action is improved, and in which other advantages such as reduction in the number and simplification of the parts, and quiet operation are obtained, to render the invention a substantial advance in its field.

As various changes may be made in the form,

fill

construction and arrangement of the parts herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

1. In a nlm splicing machine including a backing plate for the film, the combination of an end mill having an end portionv for engaging the surface of the film to abrade the same, means for rotating said mill about its axis, means for revolving the mill in a path across the film, and yieldable means adjacent said mill and carried by said revolving means for engaging the film and holding the same against the backingplate while said mill is effective to abrade the film.

2. In a film splicing machine including a sup*I port for the film to be spliced and a backing plate for the lm, the combination of a rotary table vbeneath the support, a yieldable member on said table positioned for engaging the film and holding the same against the backing plate, said member having an opening therein facing the underside of the film, an end mill mounted for rotation on said table in an upright position and having an upper end portion positioned to extend through said opening and engage the surface of the lm at the underside thereof to abrade the same, means for rotating said end mill and means for rotating said table whereby said end mill is revolved in a path across the film while abrading the same.

i HAROLD C. NOE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 396,987 Corliss Jan. 29, 1889 795,082 Warner July 18, 1905 936,842 Wilson Oct. 12, 1909 1,064,930 Prndle June 17, 1913 1,421,030 Rose June 27, 1922 1,460,525 Wickland July 31, 1923 1,471,864 Sentou et al Oct. 23, 1923 1,511,213 Arnold Oct. 14, 1924 1,560,584 Klaffki Nov. 10, 1925 1,656,665 DeHui Jan. 17, 1928 1,734,140 McLaughlin et al. Nov. 5, 1929 2,146,639 Magnuson Feb. 7, 1939 2,245,976 Griswold June 17, 1941 2,258,356 Goldberg Oct. 7, 1941 2,328,447

Geyer Aug. 31, 1943 

